


you promised me you'd be around

by gee (falloutblink182)



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, im so bad at tags, read it whatever way u like idm, steve rogers deserved a better ending in endgame, the russo brothers dont deserve rights, theres samstevebucky in ch 2 if u squint, well maybe not spoilers but it probably wont make sense unless youve seen the movie lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 19:36:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18723592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutblink182/pseuds/gee
Summary: Someone on Twitter said that Steve's ending in Endgame was just Bucky having a nightmare but then he woke up and Steve comforted him in their New York apartment and lived happily ever after so that's what this fic is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title is from 'Who Knew' by P!nk, because honestly, that song was written for post-Endgame!stevebucky.

_Steve was…. old._

_Of course, they always joked about him being an old man and such, but now he really was. His skin was wrinkled and his hair was grey and he even had that distinct old people smell. His eyes, though – his eyes were still that blue-like-you’ve-never-seen-blue, but they were softer, somehow, than they had been when he was young. Like that tightness that never really went away just - vanished. Like his life was better._

_His wedding ring gleamed in the sunlight, a reminder that this Steve had lived an entire lifetime away from them – away from the Avengers, away from Sam._

_Away from Bucky._

_And on some level, Bucky didn’t blame Steve for bailing. Bucky had done some truly terrible things, and was unbelievable fucked in the head, and it took a lot of patience on Steve’s part to put up with the nightmares and the flashbacks and everything else. So, bailing? It made sense. It was a perfect escape route._

_However._

_Steve always said that Bucky wasn’t to blame for the atrocities he committed as The Winter Soldier. Steve always took the time to assure Bucky that he didn’t mind all the baggage – he was just happy to have him there. Steve always tried to convince Bucky that he was worthy of happiness, of love, of life._

_And Bucky was just starting to believe it._

_Bucky was just beginning to get_ **better** , _damn it, so why did Steve leave? Why was he leaving Bucky here alone in this overwhelming modern world when he promised – he_ **promised** – "' _til the end of the line"?_

_Bucky’s breath hitched, and Steve looked him in the eye. His eyes darkened and his mouth twisted into a sinister grin which looked so out of place on Steve’s face, old or otherwise, that Bucky wanted to scream._

_“You thought I would stay, didn’t you?” the voice that came out of Steve’s mouth sounded unfamiliar and threatening. “You thought I would stay here with you, but why would I do something like that?”_  
  


_Bucky frantically looked around for Sam, but he had disappeared, along with everything and everyone else. It was just him and this…. this Not-Steve, and Bucky seemed to be rooted to the spot._

_He begged his legs to move as the Not-Steve began to advance. He was gaining speed and one of his arms was reaching out to Bucky, and for the first time in his life Bucky wanted to do everything in his power to_ **not grab on to that fucking hand**. _His legs still weren’t working and neither was the rest of his body – he was stood absolutely stock-still as this monster with Steve’s face got closer and closer and closer and –_

* * *

 

Bucky shot up in bed and was met by Steve hovering over him awkwardly with a small towel, which Bucky took to wipe the sweat of his forehead. He wrapped his arms around Steve (who is not old not old _not old)_ and took a moment to get his breathing back to normal before he lay back down and pulled Steve with him. He buried his face into Steve’s chest, and melted under the backrubs that Steve instantaneously started to provide. They lay there for a while, with no sounds but those of the city outside and the beating of their hearts.

“You left. In my-in my dream. You left everything. Everyone.” Bucky said eventually. His voice was soft but clear. Steve held onto him a little tighter. He heard what Bucky would never say. When Bucky said  _you left everyone,_ what he really meant was  _you left me._

“It’s okay, Buck, it wasn’t real. I’m here, I’ve got you,” Steve whispered into Bucky’s hair, and kissed the top of his head softly (which, honestly, Bucky found a bit gross, because he _knew_ it had been too long since he last washed his hair, and he didn’t really want to kiss Steve after he'd kissed ex-assassin hair grease, but he supposed that it was a sweet gesture).

“It felt so real. I didn’t even realise it was a dream until you turned into some sort of eldritch horror. It was disturbing.” Steve snorted a laugh at this, but continued to rub Bucky’s back sympathetically.

“It wasn’t real. You know I’d never leave you, you jerk; you’re stuck with me – ‘til the end of the line, remember?” Steve’s voice, though hushed, was so full of conviction that Bucky couldn’t help but smile like a dumbass into Steve’s chest.

“Yeah Stevie - ‘til the end of the line.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to yell with me about the monstrosity that was Endgame please don't hesitate to get in touch because there was SO MUCH WRONG WITH THAT MOVIE.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio talk about Bucky's dream over breakfast. Pure, indulgent, silly fluff.

When Bucky awoke, it was to an empty bed and the smell of bacon wafting through the air. He smiled sleepily into his pillow, and decided that closing his eyes for five more minutes wouldn’t harm anyone.

Fifteen minutes later, he trudged into the kitchen in one of Steve’s ridiculously big hoodies and a pair of sweatpants that may have once belonged to Sam. He let out a yawn as he tied up his hair up with an elastic from his wrist, mumbled something that may have resembled “Good Morning” to Steve and Sam, and Steve smiled dopily at him over his bacon and eggs before nodding towards the microwave.

“Yours is in there – it should still be warm, though. There’s coffee in the pot.” Bucky grabbed his food and poured himself a very generous cup of coffee, and pointedly ignored the looks of concern Steve sent him as he sat down and began to scarf down his breakfast. Sam looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes.

“Steve is acting especially Mother Hen-ish this morning, Barnes. What gives?” Sam and Bucky ignored Steve’s squawks of indignation, and Bucky laughed around a forkful of potato.

“I had a dream last night where he was old,” Bucky said simply, and Sam quirked an eyebrow.

“You mean, older than usual?”

“Mmhmm. He had wrinkles ‘n everything.” Bucky had a glint in his eye, which Sam had recently figured out meant that Bucky was _up to something,_ that ‘something’ usually at the expense of embarrassing Steve.

Which, to be fair, Sam could get behind. So, he played along.

“Why was he old?” Sam asked, a smirk growing on his face.

Bucky took a couple more bites of his breakfast. “he used time travel, Sam, to _abandon us_ and live a long happy life in the 1940’s. Without us.” Bucky stuck out his lip in an exaggerated pout and sniffed for dramatic effect.

Sam looked over at Steve, offended. “So, let me get this straight – you left not only us, but all the wonders of the future, like vaccinations and iPhones and caramel Frappuccino’s, to go back to a time where _Jim Crow laws were still enforced?_ Dude. That is unbelievable. _”_

Bucky raised his eyebrows over his coffee mug, as Steve made a frustrated noise and attempted to explain how _it wasn’t him, what the hell?_ It was a lost cause, though – when Sam and Bucky actually decided to get along with one another, all the snide remarks and insults that they usually reserved for one another were instead targeted at Steve.

“Don’t forget the homophobia and sexism of the time. Can’t forget how we’re less important to Steve than oppression,” Bucky shook his head in mock shame, and let out a sigh. Sam nodded solemnly.

Steve became increasingly frustrated. “That is _not_ true! It wasn’t even – it was _Bucky’s_ brain, how am I the one at fault here?”

Bucky pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, before saying “it’s because you are a bitch ass white boy.”

Steve spluttered.

“How does that even – you’re also a bitch ass white boy, Bucky, what – Sam, help me out here,” Steve looked to Sam for help, but Sam also looked thoughtful.

“No, no, Steve, Bucky’s right – you _are_ a bitch ass white boy. I’m sorry to break it to you.” Sam didn’t look sorry. Bucky nodded; a self-satisfied look plastered on his face.

Steve mumbled and grumbled for a bit, but they soon all resumed eating their breakfast in peace. All that could be heard was the scraping of forks and chewing and the occasional angry muttering from Steve.

It was as peaceful as it ever really got around their hectic household, until Bucky cleared his throat. Sam and Steve looked at him expectantly.

“Stark died in the dream. I wore a bomber jacket and black skinny jeans to his funeral.” He very kindly gave the others some time to process this, and reached over to wipe a bit of egg from Steve’s chin. Steve barely noticed.

Bucky smiled longingly. “The jeans made my ass look amazing.”

Sam got up and put on another pot of coffee. He figured he would need it to get through this morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternative to ch1:  
> *bucky wakes up in a cold sweat*  
> steve: babe whats wrong  
> bucky: i had a nightmare omg it was so scary  
> steve: its okay whatever it was about it wasnt real it cant hurt u   
> bucky: i dreamt that u.....shaved off ur beard...... it was terrifying.....


End file.
